This invention relates to fishing, and more particularly relates to an apparatus and method for finding fish under a diversity of marine environments.
It is well known in the prior art that locator and finding devices may use sonic transducers to emit sound waves and detect reflections thereof. Such devices are generally described by Moshier, Van Lennep and Perry in U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,822. Similarly, Parker, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,465, discloses an ultrasonic leak locator consisting of a hand-held pole electrically interconnected with an external portable housing containing a transducer and earphones. The Parker device locates the source of ultrasonic vibrations caused by escaping gas through apertures in pressurized aerial cables.
This sound-echo locating methodology has been applied to depth finding in marine environments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,952 discloses a depth sounding apparatus including a floating bomb-like housing which is cast away from and attached to a vessel by an umbilical cord. As another example, Morgan teaches a device for determining the range and bearing of small underwater objects in U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,728. The Morgan locator uses a piezoelectrical crystal in contact with a body of water which is excited by a frequency modulating oscillator, to produce supersonic reflected waves.
There have been improvements in the art teaching range or depth finding devices which consume minimal power and afford portability. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,490, Camp discloses an electronic depth gauge which is typically used on a boat. The Camp depth finding device includes an oscillator to generate an ultrasonic signal which is transmitted into the water and a transducer to record the voltage of the corresponding reflected signal.
Similarly, Altmire, et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,009, teach a castable fish and depth finder which uses a specially adapted rod and reel in conjunction with an external display to ascertain the presence of fish in a particular body of water. The Altmire device, however, is limited to onshore uses and is intended for use only under environments devoid of weeds and debris. In addition, its bobber aspect has a support harness and stabilizers, both of which tend to become snagged or entangled under adverse, but not uncommon, marine conditions. Furthermore, since its display is disposed external of the rod-reel combination, external cabling is required and complete portability is lacking.
Thus, heretofore unknown in the prior art is a method and an apparatus for conveniently and portably finding and locating fish both onshore and offshore under even marine environments containing weeds, organic impurities and debris. The prior art also suffers from no finder device which inherently prevents conductor cable from being contaminated by excessive water, organic impurities or debris. Accordingly, these limitations and disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the present invention, and improved means and techniques are provided which are especially useful for finding fish in a diversity of onshore and offshore marine environments.